If you don’t know, you might be tempted to believe that Governor Seyi Makinde’s greatest concern is how to find a suitable political party platform where he and his followers would contest the 2027 election.
Believe it or not, that is the least of his worries for now. Though, the issues are interwoven, yet, there is a fire burning inside the Governor right now.
Babylon is crumbling. I saw a video a couple of hours ago where Senator Sarafa Ali accused the Makinde Government of wasting the sum of 1.5b Naira to install absentee Kings some days ago.
When I saw the reaction of people to that allegation, I told myself, does people know the kind of corruption going on for the past seven years under Governor Makinde? That sum of 1.5b Naira is chicken change, compared to what has been going on in this Government.
You will recall that I raised similar allegations against this Government when they went to Eruwa to coronate illegality. For Governor Makinde, the coronation of Monarchs is beautiful business and another way of siphoning public funds, specifically, Local Government funds. Like I said, Babylon is crumbling and the Nobles are beginning to panic and flee.
Recently, key officials of the Makinde Government have been frequenting the headquarters of the men in red in Abuja. I am told and allegedly so, that the S. A Due process might have fled.
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Even, the ‘ Governor de facto ‘ is not left out of the several trips to Abuja. I am also told that the Chief Law officer for the state has turned Abuja to his second home.
The Governor’s Chief of staffs, according to information at my disposal, was allegedly invited and he just returned from the office of the Special Fraud Investigation Unit, SFIU at Lagos. The dilemma facing Governor Makinde is the fact that so much atrocities have been perpetuated and in his shoes, anyone would want to cover up.
Unfortunately, his case is exactly like the admonition given by Jesus Christ to his disciples.
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“If you lie once, you require 99 lies to cover up for one lie and for each of the 99 lies, you require 99 lies each to cover them up”!
What Jesus Christ was telling his disciples was, don’t lie, lest you found yourself in a situation where lying becomes a roller coaster.
Let me give you a few details.
I raised some allegations against Governor Seyi Makinde before now. Specifically, I said that he has been withdrawing funds belonging to the 33 Local Governments to do some roads belonging to the state. I mentioned the fact that Ibadan North Local Government was turned to a clearing house where the funds belonging to the 33 Local Governments were being processed for Governor Makinde to withdraw and spend on state projects.
I was emphatic about the fact that this practice is not only illegal, it is also a criminal offence and I mentioned some statutes which forbids the Governor from engaging in such criminal acts, to back up my claims.
The Government of Oyo didn’t deny this criminal actions but they tried to justify it and their justification prompted me to write a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC. You would think that they ought to have stopped the illegal practices because of the development.
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They can not. One, Governor Makinde is not one who listens to expert advice on such matters. told you about the state Engineers who were asked by Government to vet the Bills of quantities submitted by the Contractors who built the Bus terminals.
For daring to do their jobs in a professional manner, recommending a substantial reduction of the submitted BOQs, they were made to see hell.
Eventually, their advice were ignored and in the end, the contracts were reviewed and the contract sums varied severally.
By the time Governor Makinde loses immunity from prosecution at the end of his tenure as Governor of Oyo state, his biggest problem he would be facing is the reckless manner of varying contracts.
Let me give a number of examples. The Olodo Bridge was awarded for an initial contract sum of N5.9b.
Apart from the fact that the project belongs to the state Government and Local Government funds were illegally withdrawn to do it, the contract sum were varied severally.
Similarly, the Akobo-Olounda road project which is also a state project was first awarded to a Lebanese Company, Samchase, for an initial sum of N9.6b but it was varied severally. I hope I got the spellings of the Company name correct.
Local Government funds were also illegally withdrawn for the project. The sums of money were allegedly directed through Lagelu Local Government this time around. Governor Seyi Makinde announced that the Alakia-Airport road project was awarded for an initial sum of 60b Naira.
According to information at my disposal, Governor Makinde allegedly varied the contract to over 135b Naira!
What justifications could there be for this Government to keep varying contracts?
I do not think that Governor Makinde has awarded a contract he won’t end up varying substantially.
The contracts for the Bus terminals. The Light Up Oyo and several road projects were all varied.
The sad part is the fact that these contracts ended up being varied to the extent that the original sums approved were tripled in many cases.
Let us talk about the hatchet men.
You will recollect that some prominent opposition figures left the All Progressives Congress, APC to join Governor Makinde in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP sometimes last year.
One of them is a popular High Chief and another, a former appointee of the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi. I am keeping my powder dry on the latter because very soon, he might be unveiled for something big.
When that happens, we will have some issues to discuss. As for the Baba Oloye, these are very good times. I was informed that he allegedly got the contract to supply 50 electric motorcycles per Local Government. As at now, only 25 out of the 50 electric motorcycles per Local Government have been distributed.
I am certain that the funds for the contract belongs to the 33 Local Governments. I was also informed and allegedly so, that Governor Makinde has increased the Baba Oloye’s fleet of cars by a G-Wagon.
These are good times but consequences will surely follow if crimes were committed. I got some information about a particular female worker at the Ibadan Airport regarding some contracts and Government properties evacuated from the Oyo state Government House under rehabilitation.
I definitely will focus on these alleged atrocities and expose them for the public to know. Haa! I have never seen or heard of anything close to the recklessness and illegalities going on in this Government.
Unfortunately, some funny individuals and Governor Makinde’s lickspittles will want us all to keep quiet and act as if nothing is happening. Sometimes, I pity them because they are ignorant about so many things.
That is why Governor Makinde thought that once he told us that the 2027 election would be between the people and the APC, then, the job is done.
No. It is not.
What about the eight years of illegalities, financial recklessness and wastages in Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments? Are we just going to jump that and start talking about the Federal Government, its areas of failings and its perceived areas of failings?
Are we not going to look at what Governor Makinde received from the Federation Account on behalf of Oyo state and the 33 Local Governments for eight years, juxtaposing it against what is on ground, the huge debts accrued under his Government for eight years?
Are we not going to ask questions about the several visits by key officials of his Government to the office of Anti-graft Agencies and the reasons behind it?
Shall we not ask questions about Light Up Oyo, the Bus terminals, the Mini Stadia across the geo-political zones, the Eruwa Farm Settlement, Agbowo Shopping Complex, the Aircraft, Airstrip and many more?
So, we should just leave these crucial topics and start talking about Abuja?
No. It won’t happen.
I agree that the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has constitutional responsibilities to discharge for the well being of every Nigerian. I agree also that we should talk about it when the time comes but, shouldn’t we also talk about who, between the president, the Governor and the Local Government Chairmen, has more constitutional responsibilities to perform when it comes to the well being of people in a state and the grassroots?
Shouldn’t we talk about the affairs of our state and how we have truly fared under Governor Makinde? Should we forget about the award of contracts for the production of exercise books for an outrageous amount of money and the failed promise by Governor Makinde that he was going to investigate?
Should we not talk about the idle 33 feeding-bottle boys?
Definitely, we should and we will and these are the issues that will shape 2027 in Oyo state. Politics is local and by the Grace of God Almighty, we won’t be complacent.
We will ensure that we force the correct narratives so that, when the public is about to decide, they will do so under a clearer vision and conscience.
A SMOKE OF FIRE FROM THE OYO STATE HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY.
I was just rounding up this piece when I was informed about the ugly developments between Governor Makinde, the Speaker of the Oyo state House of Assembly and some prominent personalities whose names I don’t want to mention as a mark of respect for them.
Let me say that I have all the correct datais of everything that transpired between everyone involved. I am aware of all the intrigues and as a mark of respect for some highly respected people, like I mentioned earlier, I will not spill the beans.
However, I must say this: Debo Ogundoyin is a member of the PDP and he has benefitted tremendously from that party in the past eight years or so.
I am an Ibarapa man, from Eruwa. We have eminently qualified Youths, infact, more qualified Youths than Debo Ogundoyin in the APC who will do better than Debo Ogundoyin in any office. ( Elective or selective).
I won’t say more than that for now. As for whatever fate that might be Debo Ogundoyin’s lot within the PDP, he MUST carry them within their party.
It is not and will never be my business but it will become my business once it infringes or attempt to infringe on the rights and privilege of my people in Ibarapa East.
You don’t tell a small child not to catch leprosy but when he does, he should be prepared to live in the bush all alone.
I hope it would remain within the PDP, Debo Ogundoyin and Governor Seyi Makinde.
Sola Abegunde.
